Package-conveyer.



PATENTED OCT. 1a; 1907.

M. C. SGHWAB. PACKAGE CONVEYER.

' APPLICATION FILED JAN. 23, 1905.

INVENTOR Jgwl 20,.

ATTORNEY UNITED STATES} PATENT OFFICE.

MARTIN O. SCHWAB, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO GRAVITY CONVEYOR COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK. I

PACKAGE-CONVEYER.

No. sea ,02o.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 15, 1907.-

Application filed January 23,1906 Serial No. 242,406.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, .MARTIN O. SGHWAB, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain-new and use ful Improvements in Package-Conveyors, of which the following is a specification.

My inventionrelates to an improved package conveyer orchute which is so arrangedt'hat the parcels which pass through it may be discharged at any desired floor. I It includes certain other novel features which wil be described in the following specification and pointed Fig. 1, and shows a modification of one part of my in-.

vention. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of part of the conveyor showing a modification of one part of myinvention more in detail. Fig. 4 is a plan view of theparts shown in Fig. 3. Figs. 5 and 6 are details of certain parts which will be fully explained later.

Referring to the drawings 10 designates a spiral chute or conveyer which comprises an outer shell 11, an inner tube 13 between which is situated a spiral conveying surface 12. The various landings or floors which are connected by this conveyer are designated by 20; 30,

40, 50 and 60. At each of these floors, openings 21,31, 41, 5]. and 61 are provided which are preferably slightly above the floor level and which afford communication may be placed opposite these openings to guide the parcels which are discharged through them to the desired location. Pivoted shelves 25, 35, 45 and are situated near these'openings, preferably in such position .as to form a continuation or extension of the troughs into the conveyer in the nature of bridges. These pivoted shelves or bridges are normally raised above the spiral or the carrying surface of the conveyer, in the position shown at 25, 45, and 55, so that they do not obstruct the passage of piacels through. the conveyor. On the'outsidc of the conveyor and rigidly attached to the shafts which carry the pivoted shelves are arms 26, 36,

:46 and 56 tothe outer ends of which vertical rods 27,

parti cular'landing at which he desires to have pareels 37, 47 and 57 are connected. By means of these verti- 55 cal rods and their connections which have just been described, a person on any landing or floor may move a pivoted shell on any one of the floors below... These shelves are adapted when thus moved to rest upon the surface of the spiral in the manner shown at.35' so as to form bridges between the troughs and. said sur face. In Fig. 2 is shown a sectional plan view of this part of the convcyer, the section being taken on the line A.B of Fig. l. A shelf 35 is shown hinged. to the inner end of the trough 34, its free end being adapted to make contact with the spiral surface as clearly shown in Fig. '1. It is obvious that any packages which may be descending through the conveyor from above ..will

be caught by this shelf and guided onto thechuteror trough 34 which will carry it to the desired place.

Figs. 3 and 4 show a modification of tonstructio ng in which case instead of using the pivoted shelvesw' ljiclrjg have been described, a part-,of the spiral itself'is movable. This part is designated by 12. It '1 i oted as are the shelves before described and maybe moved by means of an arm 36. Ordinarily the part l2 constituting a bridge or'shelf rests upon the surface of the spiral 12, so that it has no effect upon theusual operation of'the conveyer. An opening is placed as before, above the surface of the spiral. Now when the movable part 12 of the spiral is raised to such a position as that indicatedin. Fig. 3, the parcels which are descending through the conveyer from above will be guided by it up onto the chute S4 and thus delivered at the desired place. 85

in the operation of this apparatus it is highly desirable to prevent,- interference. between the different floors; that is, to have the apparatus so arranged that when a person on one floor has operated a shelf atgthe their upper endswith stop collars 28. 38. 4B and 5 limit their downward movement by coming in contact I i with some stationary pieces through which the rods pass. In the drawings this stationary piece is shown 100 as the top of the frame of the intenljockiug device. The interlocking device itself-comprises a housing 71 which is provided with a horizontal hole '[3 in which are placed a number ofloos'e slidiiugbolts or'.locki ng pieces 72. A number of vertical openings are pro- 1' 05 vided in the housing 71, one for each iii the vertical I: rods, and these openings act as guides for enlarged portions 29, 39, 49 and 59 which are either a part of orarc attached fifth! vertical rods 27'. 37, 47 and 57; This ends of the horizontal hole in which they are placed lilre closed and as their combined length plus the width of one of the enlarged portions of the vertical rods is approximately equal to the' lia ngth of the horizontal hole. It is evident then thatwhenever one of the ver- -t .ical rodsis in its raised'position so that its enlarged portion is betw'ee n two of the sliding bolts or locking Q pieces; that the entire length of thehorizontal hole 73 I5 is filled. It is therefore impossible to raise two of the vertical rods at the same time. As these vertical rods are attached. to the pivoted shelves, or to the pivoted a of thespiral at the various landings, this ar- 'rangement provides an effective device for preventing the operation of any of these pivoted shelves while one SQ time, so that if it is attempted to operate the rods, the

35, has been moved into engagement with the spiral 12. The position of any shelf or slide with respect to of them is in use.

- Iii-should be noted that the position of the stop col- I lars 28, 38, 48 and 58 will determine at anytime what particular shelf or slide, as for example that designated Ft he spiral may also be determined by-notingth e relative .fpositio'lmbf the rods-Z7, 37, 47 and 57. By reason of the interlocking device, only one slide can be operated at a rod connected to the slide which is in contact with the spiral may be easily found. This is because the rod l connected tothe'slide contact with the spiral is the only one'that can be operated, and only until after it 85 has been operated to remove the slide connected thereto mm the spiral, can one of the other rods be operated.

Obviously, the position of the arms 26, 36, 46 and stance the positionof the slides at the lower floors may be easily determined by attempting to operate fsaid "rods, only the rod connected to the slide which is in contactwith the spiral being movable at this time,

. by-ieason of-the interlocking device, as hereinbefore 'fll explained. Obviously, many inodifications may be made in the'details of construction and arrangement of l reference to the indicating feature, as well I other -features of my invention, without departing the spirit and scope thereof."

"I! .Gravity conveyers of the type here shown are in 356 inthe conveyor and have themdelivered at any one "lofs eve ral desired points.

have shown a few constructions as illustrative of invention, but it is-capable of many modifications.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent so a; r

4 1. The combination with the cbnveyer havlng a corn.

, veylng surface, extending above and below an opening -ll the conveys: or movable means--tor.connectlng the opening In said conveyer with the conveylng surface lnr; said connectlug-device.

a i 56 will st anytime show whether or not the slide con 'nected thereto is in contact with the spiral. For in- 2. The combinalion with a conveyor having a conveylug; surface, extending abovc and below nnopening in the conveyor of u i'lOVll'L for lfllllllt'lllng an opening in said conveycl with the conveying; surface and means for apply- 3. The combination \villl cuuveyer having a convoy ins; surface. extending above and below an opening in the conveyor of a bridge for conncciing; an opening in said conveyor with the conveying surfucc. and means for applying said bridge.

-l. The combination with a gravity conveycr having; a conveying surface. extending above and below an opening in the conveyer of a bridge. and means for applying said bridge to connect said opening.

1 5. The combination with a gravity conveyor provided with a convcylng surface. of a pivoted bridge, and menus outside of the conveyor for moving said bridge to connect said surface with an exit opening.

6. The combination with a gravity conveyer. of a plurality of bridges, and menus outside of the conveyor for conveying surface with an exit moving said bridges to connect the conveyer with exit" said openings.

9. The combination with :1 gravity conveyer having.

a conveying surface. extending above and below an opening in the conveyer of a pivoted bridge for each of a plurality of exit openings. and individual means for operating, the bridges to connect or dis-connect the conveying su'r face with the openings.

10. The combination with :1 gruvity conveyer having a plurality of exit openings. :1 pivoted bridge for euch exit opening, and lndlvldual means connected to said bridges and extending' to the outside of the, conveyer for moving said bridges.

11. The combination with a grnvltyconveyer having a conveying surface, of a trough at or near an opening in said conveyor. and movable menus for connecting said surface with said trough.

12. The combination with a conveyor having a conveying surface, of a plurality of troughs at ditferent eleva- Hons adjacent openings in said -conveyer. bridges connected at or near said openings, and individual means for operating said bridges to connect or disconnect them be tween said conveying surface and said troughs.

13. The combination with u gravity. .conveyer provided with a plurality of exit openings, of movable bridges at or near said openings. and individual means extending to a common point for operating said bridges to move the same.

14. The combination with a gravity conveyer having :1 conveying surface, of movable bridges. troughs at or near exitopenings in said conveyor, and individual devices ex tending to a common polnt within reach of the op rntor for moving said bridges to connect or dis-connect said conveying surface with any one of said troughs.

15. [The combination with a conveyer having a conveying surface, of bridges for tangentially connecting said surface-with exit openings at different elevations, and ludependen-tmeans extending to a common point for moving said bridges.

16. The combination with a gravity conveyer, 0f troughs at openingslin said conveyor above adjacent edges of said conveying surface, movable brldges,'nnd independent means extending to a common point for moving said bridges to connect or dis-connect the conveying surface with said troughs.

17. The combination with a gravity conveyer having a the truuglr 18. The combination with a gravity conveyerhaving; a spiral surface, of landings. said conveycr being provided .with a feed opening and an exit. opening at each landing,

movable bridges for connecting or dis-connecting said spiral surface with said exit; openings, and individual means extending to the top landing for operating at any landing any one of the bridges at a lower landing to connect: or disconnect said spiral surface with an exit opening.

- 19. The combination with a gravity conveyer having: a

conveying surface, a plurality of bridges at or'near corresponding openings in said conveyer, individual means for connecting or disconnecting said conveying surface with said openings, and means for preventing the opera t'ion of any other bridge upon the operation of one selected bridge.

20. The combination with' a gravity conveyer having; a conveying surface and' openings at tliti'erent elem-itious. movable bridges for connecting saiti surface and openings. individual devi s extending to a common point for operating said bridges. and locking mechanism tnr preventing the .operation of othe bridges upon the operation of any selected bridge 21. The combination with :1 gravity con'veyer having a conveying surface, of pivoted bridges for connecting or dis-connecting said surfacewith openings at different elevations, individual devices extending to a common point for operating: said bridges, cams at the ends at said devices, and sliding locking devices two-acting with said cams for permitting the operation of only one of said bridges at a time.

22. The combination with agravity conveyer having a conveying surface, of pivoted bridgesdur connecting or.

disconnecting said surface with openings at diti'erent floors, levers secured to said bridges and pivotally connectcd to said conveyer, individual rodsextending up \vardly from said levers, cams on the upper ends of said rods, and sliding rods with conicab ends arranged to reoperate with said. cams for preventing the operation of .other bridges after the operation oi one selected bridge.

23. In a device of the class described, the combination with a, spiral slideway, of a plurality of discharge slides at the various floors arranged to be moved into contact with the slideway to deflect material moving on the same, and means at: the floors above each of said discharge-slides for controlling the same.

2- In a device of the class described. the combination with a spiral sl ideway, of a plurality of dischargeslidcs at the variousfloors arranged to be moved into contact; with the slideway to deflect material moving on -the same. means at: the floors above each of said vslideways for controlling the same, and means for indicating the position of said discharge-slides.

:25. in a device of the class described, the combination with a tube and a spiral slidcvvay therein, of pivoted discbzwg'eolides iorminr doors which close suitable openings of the tube at; variousiioors, said discharge-slides being adapted. to be swung down in contact with the slidcway to deflect ninterial'nioving thereon and means capable of being operated-from the various floors above each of said discharge-slides to Ctllil'l'Ol llie fiillllt.

26. in a device of the class described, the combination with a spiral chute, of devices for deflecting material therefrom at thevarious floors above the basement, and means capable of being operated from the various floors above each of said devices for controlling the same.

27 In a spiral gravity conveyer, the combimlt'ion with nnouter shell and an inner core. of an interposed spiral blade, and an inwardly swinging door above the spiral .and conforming substantially to the inclination then-til.

In witness whereof, I have signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MARTIN t. StllWAll.

Witnesses than. 1. Sennonm-n E. Tnos. 'IIAKNAM. 

